


do you remember the 21st night of september?

by rosasdeesperanca



Category: X-Men (Alternate Timeline Movies), X-Men - All Media Types
Genre: Charles Xavier has a Ph.D in Adorable, Erik is a Sweetheart, M/M, honestly, pure fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-21
Updated: 2020-06-21
Packaged: 2021-03-04 06:07:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,690
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24845047
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rosasdeesperanca/pseuds/rosasdeesperanca
Summary: Charles and Erik are celebrating their fifth year of friendship and a game of truth or dare might help Charles to be honest about his true feelings for his best friend{inspired by September by Earth, Wind and Fire}
Relationships: Erik Lehnsherr/Charles Xavier
Comments: 2
Kudos: 47





	do you remember the 21st night of september?

**Author's Note:**

  * For [dnbroughs](https://archiveofourown.org/users/dnbroughs/gifts).



> written in less than a day (who knew productivity was still there?) for miss niamh, prettiest girl in the world. i am so happy that we know each other. enjoy <3

It was still surprisingly warm for this time of the year. Almost hot, if you had asked Charles but Charles was always too hot. Erik always complained when he took off his jacket or sweater. “You will catch a cold.” He always told him. And Charles always gave him scientific explanations on why you didn’t catch a cold like this, Erik always rolled his eyes and said “Whatever, get sick if you want.” And he always shook his head and laughed. They had been friends for five years and Erik felt more like family than his actual family ever had. They had studied together even though they had completely different classes, they spent all their holidays together, Charles was so often at his place or his mother’s house, they were his second homes. Charles had been the first person Erik told when he started working at the best law firm of the city. He had been so proud, Erik was only 27 when he got in, he was the most hardworking person he knew. He could only feel pride and admiration. Erik was successful at everything he did, except for his dating life, his relationships never lasted. He couldn’t really say his was better. If anything, it was completely calm these last years. Like deadly calm. Mostly since he had realised he was in love with his best friend. It had been sudden, as if he had been hit by thunder, he had looked at him and knew. It was a peculiar feeling, looking at someone he always knew in a way, even before he even met him, someone that was so entirely a part of him, knowing now that his feelings were more than friendship and affection. It had happened two years ago and Charles had never managed to tell him. It was something that was weighting on his chest every day, something that wouldn’t come out. The words too foreign still, even after all this time inside his heart and mind. 

This night was special, Erik and him had met exactly five years ago. September, 21st, almost midnight in a bathroom as Charles was holding a random girl’s hair back as she was throwing up. Erik had entered the bathroom and stopped. Just stopped. For a very long while, the girl had left and thanked Charles and Erik was still standing there. Charles had laughed, unable to help himself. He remembered the first words Erik had said “What the hell is university? Every time I enter a bathroom someone is throwing up.” Since then, they had been friends. Always with each other, almost instantly. Charles had a lonely childhood and his teenage years had been pretty much the same. Erik had, well if he was honest, changed his life, he had never been that close to anyone except for Raven before. And so, it had been hard to differentiate romantic love from pure friendship. It had taken a few years but now that Charles knew there was no going back. It was a little scary at times, because he still had no idea how to say it. And time didn’t stop for him. 

This night was special so they had decided to meet at the exact (Well as far as they both could remember) time they had met, eleven thirty. It was a sappy move, they both knew it but neither did care. Charles was waiting in front of his building when he arrived with his brand new car, he had brought a few months ago and was incredibly proud of. He even beeped before Charles was in the car “Stop!” He laughed “It’s the middle of the night, are you insane?”

Erik rolled his eyes “Come on, relax a little. Your neighbors are your age or even younger, they’re probably partying right now.” 

“Still.” He argued. “It’s late.”

“So what are your plans for tonight?”

“Beverage with no alcohol because you’re driving, a borrowed game from Raven and a pretty okay time with your best friend.”

“You’re only going for okay?” He chuckled “Not very optimistic tonight.”

“Well I know you won’t like the game...at first.”

“Please tell me it’s not one of those stupid truth or dare games?”

Charles laughed nervously “It’s exactly that.”

Erik sighed “I don’t even know why we’re friends at this point.”

He shrugged “I’m rich beyond reason.”

“You really get me.”

They both laughed. 

“No but seriously we really have to play truth or dare?” Erik asked. 

“Hm hm. We have to. It’s a matter of life and death.”

“Well....” He sighed “If that’s a matter of life and death we have to play. Let me park by the river and we’ll play your stupid game. I hope you at least got my favourite juice.”

He nodded “Yes. Grape juice. I don’t know how you can like this.”

“You can’t explain love, Charles.”

“For grape juice, no you can’t.”

Erik gave him the finger and kept on driving until they found their spot by the river. 

As they walked from the empty parking lot to the small lake, Erik looked at him “I can’t believe you brought a tablecloth.” 

“Erik, that’s completely normal. Would you just sit on the grass?”

“Yes.” He rose his eyebrows “Sorry mister rich kid.” 

“You don’t need to have rich parents to do that.” Charles laughed. 

“Your tablecloth is fancier than me.”

“No offense but many things are.” 

Erik hit his shoulder playfully “Hey! Don’t make me act up before your stupid game. You even brought a portable lamp.”

“I thought about everything. Unlike you.”

As they sat down on Charles’ fancy tablecloth, Charles opened his backpack and gave him his grape juice before he even asked for it. 

“Ah, the reason I came.” Erik held the carton of juice in front of him like a price “Delicious beverage, looked down upon but still superior to every other juice.”

Charles looked his eyes as he drank his orange juice “Keep telling yourself that.”

“I will.” He beamed “So how do you play that game of yours?”

“Ahah.” He took cards out of his backpack “You pick a card from the truth or the dare pile.”

“And if I don’t want to say it or do it, I can pick another card?”

“Only if it’s really something you cannot say or do.”

Erik looked thoughtful for a moment “Okay...I am way too old for this.”

“Pick the first card, grandpa.”

He rolled his eyes as he picked the first card “Confess something no one knows about you.” He frowned “Does it count if my mother knows?”

“I guess.” Charles chuckled. 

“I used to take dance classes. Classical. I was really good at it and I loved it.”

“How come I’ve never seen any picture of that wonderful time in your life?”

“I hid them all away. I felt really insecure about it during middle school and stopped. You know gender roles.” He shrugged “I know there’s nothing to be ashamed of. I’ve watched Billy Elliot.” He chuckled as he watched Charles roll his eyes and laugh “Anyway, I used to be a dancer. That’s my big secret.”

“Oh to see you in a tutu someday.” 

“Not a chance.” He shook his head “Your turn.”

Charles hesitated before he picked one from the truth pile “Describe your biggest fear in a relationship.”

“Getting deep already.”

“Yeah....” He looked at his hands “Hm I guess abandonment. It’s not very original. But I am always afraid people will leave me. And I guess, that if someone loved me, I mean really loved me, even if they told me and we were together. I’d be afraid that they would leave me at some point.”

“You do know you deserve someone that will stay?”

Charles still looked at his hands. 

“I mean it.” He said genuinely “You deserve to be with someone that will always want to stay and prove it.”

“Thank you.”

“I’m going to pick a dare card next because I feel adventurous all of the sudden.” He took the first card he found “Text one of your exes that you miss them...What did I get myself into?”

Charles laughed “Text Kate. That will be funny.” 

“That will be anything but funny. Does it count if I tell her I miss her lemon cake. That cake was delicious. I really miss it.”

“That doesn’t really count but...okay.”

“Alright.” He looked in his contacts “Kate, I miss talking to you and your wonderful lemon cake. We should meet soon, talk about what we’ve been up to.” He frowned “Does it sound ridiculous?”

“No, that’s fine. I mean you two ended your relationship in good terms.”

“We did. Okay...Sent.” He said proudly “Your turn. And you better pick dare too.”

“Alright.” He picked a card and his eyes widened as he read it. 

“What? What is it?” 

“U-uh it says call or text the person you like.”

He chuckled “Now that’s interesting.”

No, Charles thought to himself, that’s not interesting. That’s the most embarrassing moment of my life. “Can’t I just pick another card?”

“I just texted my ex. I think you will survive this.”

“Not sure.”

“Come on.” He smiled “They probably like you too. And if they don’t, good for you, you can move on.”

“O-okay. Let me look.”

Now, he had two choices he could fake it and pretend he texted someone else or he could be honest and risk changing his longest friendship which was scary and he did hate how it made him feel in this moment. But he also knew, it was his chance to be sincere and let go of that weight, finally. So, when he looked through his contacts, he stopped at Erik and called. 

He frowned “You’re calling me.”

Charles nodded. 

“Wait... You like me?”

Charles nodded again “Yes.”

“W-What? When? For how long?”

“Two years.”

“Two years?! And you never said a thing?” He almost shouted. 

“Are you angry?”

“No, sorry.” He sighed “I’m just surprised.”

“Oh.” Charles stood up. Exactly what he imagined. 

“No, wait.” He stood up too “I don’t...I don’t mean...”

Charles looked at him, confused. 

“I mean I...Did I just lose my entire vocabulary?” He sighed again “I don’t know how to explain it, can I just show you?”

He nodded, he didn’t have much strength to do anything else. 

Erik got closer, slowly, like he would disappear if he walked too fast. He held his face with one hand, gently put a lock of hair behind his ear. And kissed him. Charles was too stunned to kiss back but he felt everything so deeply, it made him shake. A simple kiss made him lose control of his entire body. 

Erik stopped “Are you okay?”

He nodded. 

Erik kissed him again. And this time, he kissed back. He couldn’t describe how it felt the second time. It was like coming home, something he had always needed. Something that was too beautiful and delicate to be true and yet was happening. He smiled into the kiss. Feeling dizzy, with the smell of his cologne and the strength he could feel from the arm that was holding him. When Erik let go of the kiss, it was clearly because he still needed to breathe and not because he wanted to do. 

Charles was thinking of something to say. Something that described the depth of his feelings, showed his love for him but instead he just said “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” He chuckled “I didn’t know I could make your mind go so hazy with just a kiss.”

“I didn’t know you would ever kiss me so...”

“Neither did I before tonight.”

“You know before that...When you asked me if I liked you and I said yes. I meant it but I’m more...I do not just like you. I’m...I’m in love with you.” 

“If you propose next, I won’t be surprised anymore.” He smiled. 

Charles managed to smile too. And he took a breath before he said “I mean it.”

“I know. I love you too. I don’t know why I’m acting all confident. Inside I’m freaking out. I promise you.”

“That makes the two of us.”

“Yeah...” He scratched the back his head 

“Maybe we should go back to the car.” They said at the same time, looked at each other then laughed nervously.

“Charles, you really make me feel like I’ve been married for ten years sometimes. That’s a problem.” 

“Please.” He gave him a look “I baked a layer cake because you closed a case and brought it to your office two weeks ago, you’re not even close to my level.” 

“Okay you win.” He smiled, holding both hands up in defeat. 

The walk back to the car had been silent, mostly because Charles was lost in thoughts and couldn’t comprehend everything that happened in the last half hour. It still felt so unreal, he had kissed him and that still didn’t make any sense. 

When they were inside the car Erik sighed and exclaimed “Well happy fifth anniversary to us!”

That made them both crack up. 

“I mean.” Erik said still laughing “The fact that we celebrate this every year should’ve been a clue.”

“Probably.” 

“Is it weird if I ask you to come home with me? I think we have a lot to talk about maybe not tonight but definitely tomorrow.”

“No, of course not. It’s not even the first time I’m staying at your place.”

“True. But it’s different now, right?” 

Charles had rarely heard Erik sound so vulnerable. He looked over at him “Yes, it’s different. I-I mean if you want it to be different too.”

“I do.” Erik nodded. 

“Then it is.” He sighed “We’re really stupid, aren’t we?” 

He laughed “Yes, we are. We’ve always been.”

“Let me put some music one.” Charles grinned. 

“Help yourself.” 

Charles kept on grinning as he chose the song and instantly heard Erik chuckle “I should’ve known.” 

“Come on we met on a 21st night of September. That’s too big of a coincidence.”

“Charles, just please don’t call it our song.”

He gave him a look “You know that if you tell me not to do it I will do it. Watch me say this is our song in restaurants, shops, grocery stores from now on.”

Erik rolled his eyes “I once had a reputation.”

”Keep telling yourself that, ballerina.” 

He gasped “It didn’t even take two hours for you to hold that against me!”

“I’m just joking! I would definitely like to see your skills.”

“Keep dreaming.”

He rose his eyebrows “We’ll see about that.”

Erik looked thoughtful for a moment before he asked “I was just...I was wondering. You didn’t say anything for two years because you saw me fail at every relationship I ever had?“

“No.” He frowned “Why would you think that? I didn’t say anything because I thought you didn’t have those feelings for me.”

“It’s just...I haven’t been great at this. And tonight I realised it was mostly because I didn’t want to be in a relationship, not one that wasn’t with you. And I want you to know, I would do better with you. I think you’ve been the person I wanted to be with all along. And I was just too much of a coward to admit it to you or even myself.”

Charles smiled “If you haven’t noticed I am in the same situation. I’m just happy you feel the same way. And this is an understatement. In fact, I am ecstatic. Inside I have been dancing to Copacabana with a giant cocktail, in a coconut, in Hawaii.” 

Erik laughed “That’s oddly specific.” 

“So you see, you don’t have to explain it to me. I know.” 

“I think I understand now.”

As they smiled to each other for a second before Erik focused completely on the road again. Charles realised it had been his home along, the feeling of safety and understanding he always had around him. Only now, it was different. It felt like he had found his true place in his own home.


End file.
